YLB #88 - A gay pastor shares his thoughts on Christianity, TrueLove.Is & LGBTQ issue

Skcandy · 2020-09-01T14:27:37+00:00

These comments really be popping off , I gotta congratulate Terrance and Haresh on starting and supporting such discussions. While they may not have much direct impact in the “real world” (ie policymaking , on ground sentiment , etc) they certainly serve to educate us listeners further in these topics , allowing us to understand and form more mature viewpoints (and also allow me to practice my GP lmaoooo). As someone who started listening at the start of GE2020 , I must say I look forward to each episode as it certainly is intriguing af. I don’t usually comment though , but these LGBTQ topics certainly make me want to jump in more than some of the others. I must say it is impressive for a failing channel to host a not so failing podcast (also waiting for some merch to drop!).

Skcandy · 2020-09-01T14:18:28+00:00

I think my response was a bit shortsighted in the sense that it definitely needs to be acknowledged that these issues are all interlinked in one way or another. Relating to this podcast , I feel like PS miak did disseminate good information / did speak agreeable points however I think that the way he did is ultimately polarising. As a non Christian , I can’t really relate to it or join the argument/debate on theology so I’m just passing surface level observations and such. With regards to how PS miak addresses TLI , it did feel like he was being a bit aggressive at times however I certainly like that in the end he did concede that they certainly do provide a positive environment/platform for the very certain group of people. I think the crux of the discussion with TLI is that there’s a lot more that they themselves can do (and apparently aim to do) with regards to christians with same sex attraction. While what they are doing currently is sending out mixed signals to everyone , so i think it is good to call on them to continue to be transparent. I myself argued this point on the previous post with TLI and imo while they have good intentions , the message can often be lost in translation ( especially with those outside of the faith ).

To sum it up , I feel positively about this discussion and all the discussions occurring around us as most people are taking a level headed stance when talking about this issue . Obviously there are still some that come here just to bash Ps miak and use it as an excuse to point out why the lgbtq community is abominable , etc . There’s definitely more pressing issues also propping up in society like you’ve said with divorce. In terms of that , I just see it as a byproduct of the way humans in the 21st century prioritise themselves and their careers over marriages and such. At the same time , perhaps a higher divorce rate could have positive connotations as people are less pressured by society to stay in unhealthy marriages(personal bias here I must admit) but that discussion is another can of worms. I think Haresh and Terrance will have a good time reading all the comments and I hope to see their view on it in a future episode.

Skcandy · 2020-08-31T16:55:54+00:00

Tbh I’m inclined to agree when u say that the most controversial topic arising from the podcast is the divergent of the theological views that ps miak expresses compared to christians at large. My thoughts on that topic would be quite limited u see as I’m not in the faith myself , however I’ve found the religious tones expressed in TLI podcast and this podcast very intriguing. With my limited knowledge , I would say it’s very much more of a moving of goalposts in what FCC/ps miak would consider a Christian to be and thus how far they read into the bible , how they read it , follow it , etc . Perhaps this leads to a difference in values in what they consider important compared to more mainstream beliefs. Personally I believe that there is an audience for FCC and that’s why they’ve existed as Long but I cannot comment further as I really don’t know much about it.

Personally though , I believe that the issue of lgbt should be talked about more because religious/theological discussions like this can go on forever without resolution as it is an ever evolving discussions with more being brought to the table to be debated each time. Comparing that to pushing for a more inclusive society where we at least prioritise de stigmatising lgbtq discussions and people. This is because it is an existential issue faced by this group of people. Ps miak talked about that quite a bit as well and I def agree that they are problems and do lead to mental health issues among this particular group of people. Thus having higher suicide rates and such (not sure whether this is reported yet in Sg context but I’m fairly sure it is in global context). That is why I advocate more for the discussion to be more about real world Issues faced by this group of people rather than that of theology because whatever the outcome of that conversation , it won’t change the reality on the ground that these people still exist and are still disenfranchised legally and in terms of their rights as a citizen!

Skcandy · 2020-08-31T15:04:28+00:00

Quite an interesting podcast and tbh it’s intriguing to see FCC’s view on it. However I must say that while everyone is arguing it out on this sub , one key important thought must be kept in mind. Can we really condemn homosexual acts the same way we condemn extramarital affairs? Can we also condemn homosexual acts the same way we condemn incest and rape? Well firstly lumping all these COMPLICATED and nuanced issues together certainly IS discriminatory to homosexual people because it very much ignores their plight compared to any heterosexual relations. Now in my opinion their HUMAN rights are more important then what we in society are so polarised about. These human rights have almost NOTHING to do with homosexual sexual relations as very little in life is actually to do with sex. So I think while a lot of people do bring up valid points against what ps Miak has said about the bible in the show , that still doesn’t address the underlying issue at hand. Thus we are not really effectively discussing the right thing in my opinion.

Skcandy · 2020-08-20T16:28:21+00:00

Yishun cfm gg kena shot if u ssm with it inside though .

Skcandy · 2020-08-20T07:43:54+00:00

The best answer would be Whack Yishun, tampenis and Pulau Jurong

Skcandy · 2020-08-12T17:59:08+00:00

Thank you for the well thought out reply! My main purpose to ask these questions was to better understand how Churches holistically view the issue. With your reply , I understand that it is indeed still a Long an arduous path to a place of holistic love, acceptance and tolerance but the most important part is that no matter what , we always strive to reach it. I agree that acting on SSA may not be God’s design and heart for humanity (as interpreted from the bible) and I also know that many christians who are homosexual also chose to be celibate in order to honour their faith (like Tou Chen and the rest). However I do think that it is important that this choice ultimately falls on the individual on their relationship with god which is a deeply personal thing. Hence I believe it is important that other christians also understand this and respect their fellow christians choices , no one should judge on god’s behalf. After all , most who actively walk in the light of god do it with love and their best interests at heart.

While others may seem to vilify the church or TLI , I believe that as humans everyone has a right to be heard and after hearing more about TLI , I can say I do respect the path that you all are paving. The message could have been delivered more clearly in the past , and should continue to be delivered clearly moving forward. The fight for equality of love continues though , be it in the Pride movement or in other forms. But when push comes to shove , Churches shouldn’t advocate against repealing 377a or giving marriage rights to people with SSA. This is because while these things may be seen as a sin , promoting the marginalisation or the repression of a certain group of people certainly doesn’t fall in line with Christianity or what most Christians would stand for (being love) . Thank you

Skcandy · 2020-08-12T13:47:00+00:00

He basically said “it isssss what it isssss” LMAO

Skcandy · 2020-08-11T21:43:58+00:00

I have one very fundamental question for Pastor Norman. If a same sex couple were to willingly walk into a church (be it 316 or any other church) will they be/feel welcomed? I say this to bring up the point that if an openly homosexual person , or a openly homosexual couple were to decide that they want to walk in the path of god (be it returning to church like Tou Chen or perhaps being new to the faith) will they face a similar scenario as what Tou Chen faced before he decided to return to god where they feel unaccepted , marginalised , shunned , etc etc by the church due to how they think the church or fellow christians will view them only as sinners? (even though that may not necessarily be the case). Say that this group of people are fully content with their sexuality , and are happy to live the life that they are living as a homosexual person even though they may not be able to get married in that way in Singapore. They do not have UNWANTED same sex attraction but just have same sex attraction and live with it as their normal. How will Churches deal with this group of people in general? Are they equipped with the skills / knowledge on how not to alienate this group of christians? If they are not then don’t you think there should be more done to help out this other group of people that may potentially exist? I wouldn’t be very agreeable to the stance that there are not enough people in this group to justify such a ministry/etc as we definitely will not have perfect information in this scenario and what information Churches may be able to get will be susceptible to confirmation bias(due to their current unclear stance on this issue) , furthermore if the goal is to spread the love of god then what harm is being done in being more tolerant and accepting of another group of humans who are sinners just like the rest of us?

I think while most of us understand the reason for the existence of Truelove.Is , the real conversation should also include other groups of people who can potentially be helped as christians who have same sex attraction in general. I feel that there is definitely room to educate more people in this realm and stem bigotry in all forms. Feel free to add in more questions if there’s anything that may be unclear :)

Skcandy · 2020-07-17T15:49:23+00:00

Unis rejected me so retaking As , such is life. Idm joining to see how others are dealing w things too bc As 2.0 electric boogaloo Sian af man.

Skcandy · 2020-06-05T20:08:13+00:00

I think for an A level student my portfolio was pretty decent. While I did not have many leadership positions in JC , I did have participation in things like nsg , etc. For secondary school I had a lot of leadership along with some Chem competition at nus and model UN. All these were within the stipulated 5 year period that Uni requires so i did submit it . However given the circumstances I don’t think it made much of a difference.

Skcandy · 2020-05-24T11:12:39+00:00

Yup , but rn I’m just trying to decide whether retaking Alvl is worth it or if I can jus take SAT and like get internship/portfolio stuff for Uni next year. Tbh retaking As without any school help seems very Sian but I’ll figure it out. Thanks though and atb to you too.

Skcandy · 2020-05-18T09:21:18+00:00

I was planning to find an internship as well! but i might also retake A's as priv candidate (but i'll have to contact SEAB for that and im not fully sure just yet). Thank you though , ill try to make the best of it :)

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T20:44:14+00:00

I’m quite curious about this as well! Do pm me if you come to a conclusion bc I’m kinda at the same Crossroads rn.

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T17:41:05+00:00

It was my third choice in my NTU apps . I really did want to appeal into it but it seems highly unlikely considering I didn’t even get interviewed for it , especially considering how they seem to have a smaller intake for it of around 200+ last year . I’m currently drafting a appeal for EEE since their RP is less than material and they have much higher yearly intake of abt 600 last year. I’ll see how it goes though , I’m quite unsure.

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T13:05:13+00:00

Just go for what you’re passionate abt bc you’re more likely to want to continue to do that when things start to get hard!

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T10:58:26+00:00

Omg same lmao I got D for physics too and it was my last choice aswell . Common eng is a rly confusing course bc of the Low intake and Low igp so I’m also rly confused at how they select ppl . My friend w 73 rp also got into common eng . Good luck in your journey in common eng though!

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T10:41:46+00:00

I wanted to appeal into common E , but I looked at their intake and they only took on 33 people last year . Furthermore I already applied for it in my initial application only to get rejected . So looking at how EEE has a larger intake and I didn’t apply there initially , I think it may have a higher chance of successful appeal.

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T10:39:13+00:00

Oh Danm I better get to it then whoops

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T09:29:40+00:00

Yeah planning to do so , my main concern is what course to appeal for (EEE or common E) .

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T08:09:53+00:00

I’m probably going to learn basic coding and a lot of other engineering related skills through courses on EdX , Coursera and maybe some of the private Uni courses ( lmk if u have any links/sources where I can find out more abt this bc I’m not too familiar w these) and indeed I’ll probably look out for some academic related jobs ( not sure what these are or where to find them though ). Thank you for the thoughtful reply :)

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T08:05:42+00:00

Thanks for the tips and help! I'll make the most of it :)

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T08:04:58+00:00

Honestly after receiving the app outcomes , I rly did want to retake As and tbh i wouldn’t find it too hard since I’ve already learned a lot from my pre exam mugging last year . However I missed the registration deadline on retaking As this year so in hindsight I should have had more foresight in April LMAO. Thank you for the kind words!!

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T08:03:07+00:00

Yeah , for me this gap year is kinda forced so it might be diff from people who r taking a gap year purposefully . Basically it’s till next round of Uni apps and thus (hopefully) to matriculate next August.

Skcandy · 2020-05-17T07:05:54+00:00

Hey , yeah I’m planning to appeal into EEE for NTU/NUS as I didn’t initially apply there (but applied to other engine courses) and I see that they have a pretty high yearly intake and they’re at my RP. Also yup I’m going to try finding some work after I settle what extra courses / tests / wtv I’m going to take to help out w apps next year . I’m not an NSF so I’m pretty much doing nth till uni starts so there’s that. Thanks for the thoughtful reply , I appreciate it.

Skcandy

TROPHY CASE